Nearly 2,000 people, most of them students, fell ill in suspected food-poisoning outbreaks linked to President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals program this week, raising fresh concerns about food safety as the government rapidly expands the multibillion-dollar initiative nationwide, officials said on Saturday. The incidents, reported between Tuesday and Thursday in East Java, Central Java, West Sumatra, Aceh, and South Sulawesi, affected about 1,950 students, teachers, and Islamic boarding school pupils who became sick after consuming meals distributed under the government program, known by its Indonesian acronym MBG, per the AP.
The outbreaks are the latest setback for Prabowo’s signature free-meals program, which has been rolled out across the archipelago despite repeated food-poisoning incidents and corruption allegations. The largest outbreak was reported in Central Java’s Rembang regency, where 752 students and 25 teachers at a high school suffered diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain after eating meals provided through the program, according to the head of the regency’s health office. In Sidoarjo, East Java, 730 people, most of them students at an Islamic boarding school, were affected in another suspected food-poisoning incident linked to the program.
Authorities also reported 276 suspected cases involving students and teachers in West Sumatra’s Agam regency, where food distribution from the local nutrition service center was suspended pending an investigation. In Aceh’s Bener Meriah regency, 15 elementary school students and a school principal were treated after experiencing dizziness, nausea, and other symptoms following a school meal. Another 152 students from two junior high schools in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, were treated at three hospitals after developing symptoms consistent with food poisoning. No deaths have been reported, and authorities are investigating the causes of the outbreaks.
The latest incidents add to a growing number of food poisoning cases linked to the program since its launch in January 2025. According to Health Ministry surveillance data as of Sept. 2, food poisoning incidents associated with MBG have affected 50,059 people in 560 cases across 245 districts and cities in 36 provinces. The free meals program aims to combat malnutrition and reduce childhood stunting by providing meals to nearly 90 million students, toddlers, and pregnant women. The initiative, expected to cost about $28 billion through 2029, is a cornerstone of Prabowo’s administration and one of his key campaign promises.